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Fundraising Trends for Nonprofits in 2020

The world of giving is forever changing, and to keep engaging new and existing donors, nonprofits must keep up this these changes. Nonprofits, just like corporations have to keep up, and more importantly, use technology, get to know our younger generations, appeal to diverse communities and continually keep our message relevant. Take a look at some trends for 2020.

Giving Through Technology

It's no secret that everyone is using their mobile devices to navigate their daily activities. Artificial intelligence like Siri and Alexi are becoming part of our families providing us with immediate information. The millennial and centennial generations pay for mostly everything using an app that is downloaded on their smart phone. For profit organizations (think McDonalds, Dunkin, Starbucks) are meeting their consumers where they are. Want a cup of coffee? Zip through the drive through and instead of paying with cash, flash your phone to the cashier who scans a code. This convenient, cashless trend is one that nonprofits need to embrace to increase their engagement with younger donors. Not only do they have money to spend, they are very concerned about the future. They want to volunteer, donate and make a positive impact.

Social Media and Online Giving

Social media, crowd funding and online donations is growing. According to Double the Donation, online giving grew by 12.1% in 2019 and is predicted to grow even more in 2020. A big part of the giving was done through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, due to the added donation buttons and stickers making it easier for donors to give, and give often. The power of social media is that the message, donation or any activity can be easily shared with others so the reach is exponential. Nonprofits who embrace social networks and use them frequently will see their message expand into communities and grow their presence and donations.

Tip: Use stories, photographs and testimonials to personalize your mission. Social media posts that include photographs have the highest share potential.

Create Experiences and Connections

Consumers are also exploring authentic person to person experiences that connects them with like-minded folks. They want to put their phones away for a while and volunteer. Volun-tourism, a form of tourism where volunteers enjoy working together for a common cause, is a growing trend. Nonprofits who find ways to provide authentic giving experiences will generate new, loyal donors who will grow into life-long supporters.

Tip: Think about your events from the attendee and volunteer perspectives to create better user-experiences that they can’t wait to tell their friends and colleagues about!